Devices for unwinding filamentary material from a bobbin or sp ool

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to devices for unwinding filamentary material from a bobbin or spool. The bobbin or spool has at least one cheek and a rotatable capping flange surrounds this cheek: a tube is located at the centre of the bobbin or spool and has a flared end, and means are provided for rotating the central tube and the capping flange together. As a result of the apparatus, the filamentary material may be taken off the bobbin or spool, be passed over the flared end of the central tube and along the latter and out of its other end.

States Patent [191 Godderidge DEVICES FOR UNWINDING 1F ILAMENTARY MATERIAL FROM A BOBBIIN OR SPOOL [76] Inventor: Jean Godderidge, l-louilles, France [22] Filed: Apr. 25, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 247,277

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 5, 1971 France.....', 7117034 [52] US. Cl 57/34 R, 57/58.86, 57/59, 242/128 [51] Int. Cl D0111 7/00 [58] Field of Search242/47, 110.1; 57/58.49, 58.38,

[451 Feb. 12, 1974 Germany 57/58.49

Primary ExaminerJohn Petrakes Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Nathaniel A. Humphries [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to devices for unwinding filamentary material from a bobbin or spool. The bobbin or spool has at least one cheek and a rotatable capping flange surrounds this cheek: a tube is located at the centre of the bobbin or spool and has a flared end, and means are provided for rotating the central tube and the capping flange together. As a result of the apparatus, the filamentary material may be taken off the bobbin or spool, be passed over the flared end of the central tube and along the latter and out of its other end.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure DEVICES FOR UNWINDING FHLAMENTARY MATERIAL FROM A BOBBIN OR SPOOL The present invention relates to a device for unwinding a filamentary material from a bobbin or spool in the opposite direction to that in which it was wound on.

To unwind very fine filamentary material from large bobbins or spools with the means at present known, i.e. by unspooling, several disadvantages are met, to which the device according to the invention supplies a remedy.

The invention consists in a device for unwinding filamentary material from a bobbin or spool in the reverse direction to that in which it was wound on, comprising a rotatable capping flange surrounding one cheek of the bobbin or spool from which the material is to be unwound, a tube located at the centre of the bobbin or spool and having a flared end, and means for rotating the central tube and the capping flange together, the arrangement being such that the filamentary material may come off the bobbin, pass over the flared end of the central tube and along the latter and out of its other end.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which shows one embodiment thereof by way of example in axial, sectional view.

Referring now to the drawing, the unwinding device .shown therein comprises a bobbin or spool of wire mounted on a fixed hub 2, in which is mounted a hollow shaft 4, which is free to rotate in ball bearings 3, 3a, and one end of which is integral with a pulley S which is coupled to a drive means (not shown) by a transmission belt 6.

One end of a central tube 7 slides within the hollow shaft, the other end of said tube being flared at 8, and this tube 7 is subjected to the action of a spring 9 which is held against the bottom 11 of a counter-bore in the shaft 4 and against a stop fixed to the tube 7.

To the hollow shaft 4 is fixed a capping flange 12 surrounding one cheek 13 of the bobbin or spool 1 the flange being rotated by the shaft 4.

Outside the bobbin or spool l is set an anti-billowing cylinder 14 which encloses the assembly in such a way as to prevent the filamentary material coming from one bobbin interfering with that of the next bobbin or spool.

The flexible fingers 15 are fixed to cylinder 14 and are in contact by their free ends with the periphery of flange 12 so that thread F is maintained in contact by said fingers with the periphery of the flange.

Finally, the tension is controlled at the outfeed end of the central tube 7 by a braking device (not shown).

The capping flange 12 and the central tube 7 being rotated by the drive shaft 4, the filamentary material F which is drawn from the bobbin or spool 1 passes out over the flange 12 and is then directed into the tube 7 located at the centre of the bobbin or spool, passing around and pressing on the flare 8.

When the thread being removed from the spool 1 catches or tends to jam on the spool, tension in the thread will increase so as to exert an axial force on the flaired end 8 of the tube 7 to the right as viewed in the drawings to cause the tube 7 to move against the bias of the spring 9. The spring 9 serves as a cushion to absorb the momentary high tension resultant from temporary catching or jamming of the thread being fed from the spool 1. If it were not for the aforementioned cushioning effect, the thread might be broken. Additionally, in instances in which the thread jam is relatively severe, the increased tension in the thread will move the innermost edge of the flaired end portion 8 inwardly into contact with the outer surface of the flange 12 to provide additional frictional driving force between the tube 7 and the flange 12 to create a more effective rotation of the flaired end, the thread and the flange to aid in disengagement of the jam. It should be noted that the additional rotative force is in addition to the normal frictional drive provided between shaft 4 and tube 7 by frictional engagement of element 101 with shaft 4.

The unwinding is executed from a fixed spool to the consequent advantage of avoiding the inertia of a rotating spool as is the case in many presently known unwinding devices. Not only does the present invention provide improved functional results, it is also much more economical to construct and use due to its more simple nature. It should be appreciated that the device can be used in any industry in which it is necessary to remove thread, wire, string or the like from a spool. Thus, the device would find many uses in the textile industry, the wire-drawing industry in which wire for cables is removed for spools for twisting and drawing into cables and in numerous other industries requiring similar wire or thread unreeling operations.

lit will be apparent that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the specific details referred to without in any way departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for unwinding filamentary material from a fixed non-rotating bobbin or spool in the reverse direction to that in which it was wound on, said bobbin or spool having at least one cheek, said device comprising a fixed hub supporting said bobbin or spool, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation in said hub, a rotatable capping flange surrounding the periphery of said cheek, a central tube located at the central axis of said bobbin or spool and mounted for axial movement in said hollow shaft, resilient means biassing said central tube outwardly of said hollow shaft, said central tube having a flared end, and means for rotating said central tube and said capping flange together, the arrangement being such that the filamentary material is wound off said bobbin or spool and passes over said flared end of said central tube into said central tube and along the interior of said central tube and out the other end of said central tube.

lowing of filamentary material being unwound from the bobbin or spool.

4. The invention of claim 3 additionally including flexible fingers mounted on the anti-billowing cylinder and having ends engaging the periphery of said capping flange. 

1. A device for unwinding filamentary material from a fixed nonrotating bobbin or spool in the reverse direction to that in which it was wound on, said bobbin or spool having at least one cheek, said device comprising a fixed hub supporting said bobbin or spool, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation in said hub, a rotatable capping flange surrounding the periphery of said cheek, a central tube located at the central axis of said bobbin or spool and mounted for axial movement in said hollow shaft, resilient means biassing said central tube outwardly of said hollow shaft, said central tube having a flared end, and means for rotating said central tube and said capping flange together, the arrangement being such that the filamentary material is wound off said bobbin or spool and passes over said flared end of said central tube into said central tube and along the interior of said central tube and out the other end of said central tube.
 2. The invention of claim 1 additionally including interengaging means between said central tube and said hollow shaft for effecting rotation of said central tube by said hollow shaft.
 3. The invention of claim 1 additionally including an anti-billowing cylinder enclosing said bobbin or spool and said capping flange for preventing the outward billowing of filamentary material being unwound from the bobbin or spool.
 4. The invention of claim 3 additionally including flexible fingers mounted on the anti-billowing cylinder and having ends engaging the periphery of said capping flange. 